Cape Dutch Architecture

“Cape Dutch architecture is a traditional Afrikaner architectural style found mostly in the Western Cape of South Africa. The style was prominent in the early days (17th century) of the Cape Colony, and the name derives from the fact that the initial settlers of the Cape were primarily Dutch. The style has roots in mediaeval Netherlands, Germany, France and Indonesia.

Houses in this style have a distinctive and recognisable design, with a prominent feature being the grand, ornately rounded gables, reminiscent of features in townhouses of Amsterdam built in the Dutch style. The houses are also usually H-shaped, with the front section of the house usually being flanked by two wings running perpendicular to it. Furthermore, walls are whitewashed, and the roofs are thatched.

Most Cape Dutch buildings in Cape Town have been lost to new developments – particularly to high-rises in the City Bowl during the 1960s. However, the Cape Dutch tradition can still be seen in many of the farmhouses of the Wine Route, and historical towns such as Stellenbosch, Swellendam, Tulbagh and Graaff-Reinet.

One characteristic feature of South African colonial architecture which has attracted the attention of many observers is the extensive use of gables. Earlier research has repeatedly sought to justify the term `Cape-Dutch’ solely by comparing the decorative form of these gables to those of Amsterdam. However, in the second half of the 18th century, the period in which, the entire development of the South African gable tradition occurs, gable architecture had gradually ceased to be built in Amsterdam. North of Amsterdam, along the river Zaan, however, gable design remained vigorous until the capture of the Cape. South African gables have many features in common with gables along the river Zaan, in spite of the different materials used.”

Modern Architecture Declassified

Art is the ultimate finesse of our human race. Architecture is the greatest inspiration and a powerful symbolic manifestation of our aesthetic fire. AE presents a wholly different perspective at viewing modern architecture.

“Architecture is one part science, one part craft and two parts art,” mentions David Rutten. Art is the ultimate finesse of our human race. It’s the driving force. Goethe likens architecture to frozen music. It’s the greatest inspiration and a powerful symbolic manifestation of our aesthetic fire.

In this zeal, the buildings and structures that we architect are dynamic presentations of our drive to infuse life into them so that they become long-standing monuments that enthuse and charm the onlooker.

“Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space,” asserted Ludwig Mies, the pioneering 20th century American architect. He devoted all his life to capturing the spirit of his times into his architecture, which we know today as ‘Modernist architecture.’ Like any great artistic movement, modernism presented a wholly different perspective at viewing architecture.

Modernism: The 20th century provided diverse, and sometimes disparate, approaches to building design. Modernist architecture lays significant emphasis on the buildings being functional and we notice a marked rebellion against traditional design styles that were overtly obsessed with architectural ornamentation. The roots of Modernism are founded in applying scientific and analytical methods to building design.

With scant regard for ornamentation, prefabricated factory-made components of metal and concrete were heavily used. The stark buildings habitually ran counter to traditional expectations and ingeniously appeared to defy gravity. Architects of this era often drew on several design philosophies to architect buildings that are both unique and startling.

Modernism planted seeds for many off-shoots in the later decades. The different stylistic architectural movements are detailed further on. It must be kept in mind that these classifications cannot be water-tight compartments because any artistic movement influences other movements in multi-lateral ways. Therefore, it could be very frequent that one style runs into the other. At times, one building could be based upon an amalgamation of multiple styles too.

Bauhaus: Bauhaus is a German expression for ‘house for building.’ In 1919, the German economy was crumbling after the First World War. A new architectural institution called Bauhaus was established, headed by Walter Gropius, to rebuild the country through a rational community housing for the working class. Bauhaus architects discarded “bourgeois” specialties like eaves, cornices, and decorative details. They strove to use the basic forms of Classical architecture in the most basic form, devoid of any ornamentation.

Bauhaus buildings are characterized by flat roofs, cubic shapes, and smooth facades. The colors are simple in their use of white, beige, gray, or black. Even floor plans are open housing functional furniture. The chief architect, Walter Gropius, built his home in Massachusetts following the same philosophy.

When the Nazis disbanded the Bauhaus school, the principal Bauhaus leaders migrated to the US, where they applied the same principles to public and corporate buildings. The American form of Bauhaus architecture took the name of ‘International Style.’

Brutalism: Brutalism is another architectural movement that produced stark, angular and economical concrete buildings. The term ‘brutalism’ was first used in reference to Le Corbusier’s simple concrete buildings in the 50s. Brutalism grew as an offshoot of the International Style, but the designs may seem less refined.

Top Brazilian architect, Paulo Mendes, is another famous for following this style. Brutalist buildings are constructed economically in smaller time-frames. This is made possible by using precast concrete slabs. These buildings are noticeable for their rough unfinished surfaces and exposed steel beams.

Expressionism: Expressionism found its inspiration from the work of avant garde artists and designers in France, Germany, and other European countries during the first quarter of the last century. The distinctive features of expressionist buildings are the massive distorted shapes that blow symmetry to the winds. Fragmented contours are prominent and they seem like sculpted forms, even though the construction material is primarily brick and concrete.

The desired end product of expressionist architects was to have biomorphic and organic designs that were akin to forms found in Nature. This movement went on to magnify into a different style altogether which is popularly known as organic architecture.

Neo-expressionism: Neo-expressionism owes its roots to expressionist ideas. Architects through the 1950s and 60s indulged in designing buildings that gave shape to their feelings about the surrounding landscape. The buildings suggested the forms of rocks and mountains. Brutalist and Organic architecture are often described to represent Neo-expressionism.

Formalism: As evident from the name, Formalism lays great emphasis on ‘form.’ The architect’s sole concern lies in accentuating visual relationships between different parts of the building and the entire structure as one unified whole. The overall shape of the structure is given monumental attention. Lines and rigid geometric shapes are predominant in Formalist architecture.

The Bank of China Tower, built by renowned architect I. M. Pei, is the most acclaimed example of Formalist architecture. Mr. Pei is highly praised for his “elegant formalism” in building design.

International Style: International Style grew from Bauhaus architecture in the United States. While German Bauhaus architecture dealt with the social aspects of design, America’s International Style took a symbolic position of Capitalism. The International Style swept across large office buildings and even found way to upscale homes for American elites. The United Nations Secretariat building and the Seagram Building in New York are considered the finest in International Style.

A typical International Style high-rise has a square or rectangular floor-plan. It has a simple cubic “extruded rectangle” form with all facades at right angles to each other. ‘Form follows function’ is the guiding principle of the building design. There is complete rejection of ornament but transparency of the building is given a prime position. To achieve this, glass is heavily used in the exteriors, held together by steel and concrete beams. Industrialized mass-production processes give a machine aesthetic to the building.

Minimalism: One striking trend in Modernist architecture is the growing shift towards minimalist or reductivist design. Acclaimed architect Ludwig Mies is said to have pioneered this architectural style, inspired by the motto “less is more.” Traditional Japanese architecture that values simplicity and abstraction is also said to have a deep influence.

The hallmark of a minimalist building is that it is stripped of almost all essential interior elements like the walls. The outline, or the frame, of the structure is given greater value. Floor plans are quite open and negative spaces surrounding the structure form a part of the overall design. Lighting is directed to dramatize planes and lines.

The Mexico City home of award-winning Mexican architect Luis Barragán is Minimalist due to its emphasis on open spaces and dramatically lit planes.

Structuralism: Structuralism is founded in the belief system that all matter is built from a system of opposing signs like male/female, hot/cold, old/young, etc. For Structuralists, design is a process of searching for the relationship between different elements. They are also curious about the social structures and mental processes that contribute to the design.

Structuralist architecture can be vastly complex within a highly structured framework. For example, a Structuralist design may have a cell-like honeycomb shape, cubed grids, intersecting planes, or densely clustered spaces with connecting courtyards. The Berlin Holocaust Memorial is a notable Structuralist work by architect Peter Eisenman.

Postmodernism: In the later part of the twentieth century, designers rebelled against the rationalism followed in Modernist architecture and took to more abstract styles. Postmodern architecture germinated from modernist movement, yet blatantly contradicts most modernist ideas. Postmodernist buildings combine new ideas with traditional forms to startle, surprise, and amuse its viewer. Familiar shapes are metamorphosed in unexpected ways. Buildings may, at times, incorporate symbols to make a statement.

Philip Johnson’s AT&T Headquarters (now the SONY Building) is often referred as an epitome of postmodernism. The skyscraper has a sleek classical façade with the top being an oversized “Chippendale” pediment.

Deconstructivism: Deconstructivism (or the literary root: Deconstruction) is an approach to building design that attempts to view architecture in bits and pieces. The basic elements of architecture are dismantled. Deconstructivist buildings may seem to have no visual logic. They may appear to be made up of unrelated, abstract, and disharmonious forms. Deconstructive ideas are borrowed from the French philosopher Jacques Derrida. The Seattle Public Library by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas is a monumental example of Deconstructivist architecture.

High Tech: High-tech buildings make heavy use of construction materials like steel, aluminum, and glass that combine with brightly colored girders, beams, and braces to give it a machine-like look. Most parts of the building are prefabricated in a factory and assembled on-site. The support beams, duct work, and other functional elements are innovatively placed on the exterior facade, which becomes the focus of attention. The interior spaces are open and adaptable for multiple purposes. The Centre Pompidou in Paris is an iconic High-tech building. Its ‘inside-out’ architecture reveals the inner workings on the exterior facade.

Organic Architecture: The Art Nouveau architects of the early twentieth century first incorporated curving, plant-like organic shapes into their building designs. But in the later half of the twentieth century, Modernist architects took the concept of organic architecture to new heights. By using new forms of concrete and cantilever trusses, architects could create swooping arches without visible beams or pillars. Organic buildings are never linear or rigidly geometric. Instead, wavy lines and curved shapes are replicated to suggest natural forms.

The Sydney Opera House in Australia with its sail-like motifs, the shell-like spiral forms of New York’s Guggenheim Museum, and the ocean motifs of Sea Ranch Chapel in California are fine examples of organic architecture. Reference architectural evangelist.

How important is availability of As built model for facility management?

As buit for FM

Facility management (FM) team can ensure efficient management, only if they are provided with clear, current and easily-accessible asset information. But, many times, it is not happened due to the unavailability of the documents, when the requirement for information is highest.

Traditional way of Facility management

In traditional method, the facility management team gets a set of documents including as-built drawings, 2D plans, specifications, manuals and perhaps a 3D building model at completion for facility operation and maintenance. But, many times, the documents are incomplete and so hard to understand. Moreover, they may not be compatible with FM software.

If the information is uniformed in to a record model of the as-built facility using the 3D building models for design, analysis, construction planning , 4D coordination and fabrication, this models can upoort the day-to-day operations and planning. Thus the facility management team can ensure reliable and efficient operation.

Rise of new generation system – BIM

The solution to the common issues in FM is a new generation of systems and process, which is called as Building information modeling (BIM). BIM is not a mere drawing and labeling tool like a CAD system. There are many tools, processes and methodologies in this new system. As it provides a three dimensional representation of a building with all database storage mechanisms for properties about every elements of the building, it is beneficial for everybody in an industry including architecture, engineer, constructor etc. Even though the migration from a CAD to BIM may take time and effort, the benefits are many like tome-savings, cost and information retention.

Explosive growth of 6D BIM in FM

BIM facilitates increased teamwork and collaboration during the design and construction stage. It also results significant cost reduction and dramatic productivity increase. BIM can also influence the facility management in a big level. Facility management includes many things like asset management and allocation, facility maintenance and operation etc. BIM can present a simple centralized facility management data solution in a relational database. It links 3D geometric building data to its function and use and thus eliminate redundant information.

“As Built” Modeling

“As built” BIM model documents the built reality. We can maintain the model updated during construction by incorporating design modifications.

The “as-built” BIM model is used as a basis in 6D technical facility management, as it helps to include all the necessary data for management tools in building service model. Since it helps exactly position conducts, pipes, devices and other elements, it saves time and materials.

“As-built modeling helps identify existing construction materials and structural elements as well as the exact positioning of devices like pipes and conducts. So it is also time and resource saving assisting in project management and alteration works.

6D real estate management allows all types of operations and the exact positioning of spaces and their characteristics.

Importance of As built model for facility management

The updates “as built” BIM model is a valuable resource for facility managers. It is an efficient tool for controlling operation and maintenance tasks. It provides all important information about building service components including serial numbers, model-names, tech sheets, warranties, maintenance manuals, schedules and servicing logs etc. BIM models can also be constructed from existing, as-built model. Even though there is no as-built record, we can easily capture dimensional information using 3D laser scanning devices and convert them from scan to bim. Several facility managers use this method to capture as-built information and create BIM model. Reference Bim forum.

Moving into the 21st Century – Science World reaps benefits of BIM

Science World reaps benefits of BIM : Traditional paper-based drawings may be the status quo for many in the Canadian construction industry but some leading-edge innovators have made the transition into the digital world. Building Information Management (BIM) has already taken root in some sectors and is proving to be an invaluable tool – even in the piling industry.

BIM by design

“I’ve been using BIM for about eight or nine years now,” states Geraldine Rayner, vice-president of Consulting Services, Summit BIM Consulting Ltd. “Unfortunately, the adoption rate across the industry has been patchy at best.”

According to Rayner, there is still a lot of confusion around the concept of BIM. This has led to some hesitation and a slow adoption rate.

“BIM is a process of utilizing digital technology to convey information rather than paper,” she says. “Some in the architectural community are using BIM to produce black and white traditional drawings. A small number of people are using it as a tool to create a digital prototype – that’s where the real value comes into the equation.”

The use of BIM-enabled software allows users to access and manipulate data throughout the various stages of construction – from the design through to facilities management.

“BIM is really about trying to take the digital prototype from the manufacturing side of the industry and applying it to the architectural and owner side,” adds Rayner. “We can do the estimating, the time analysis, scheduling, ordering, etc. – all from a 3D prototype. This allows us to resolve any potential problems before they occur – and well before getting to the actual job site.”

At the end of the day, BIM can reduce a project’s overall costs and improve efficiencies along the way.

A report from the Construction Task Force in the United Kingdom, Rethinking Construction, cites recent studies that suggest: up to 30 per cent of construction is rework; labour is used at only 40 to 60 per cent of potential efficiency; accidents can account for three to six per cent of total project costs; and at least 10 per cent of materials are wasted.

“More than 30 per cent of the cost of a project is tied up in inefficiencies, delays and wastage,” states Rayner. “As we learn to use BIM effectively, we can reduce this percentage. But the potential exists to eradicate it completely.”

Rayner describes BIM as a number of different tools. Each segment of the construction industry has its own tool but there is a common “language” that allows everyone to talk to each other. The information is entered once and then used repeatedly throughout the different phases of the project. It may involve a bit more work at the front end but that extra work will reap digital rewards throughout the entire project – even once that project has been handed to the owner in the facilities and operations management phase.

A 2013 McKinsey Global Institute report on infrastructure productivity states that: “A key source of savings in project delivery is investing heavily in early-stage project planning and design. This can reduce costs significantly by preventing changes and delays later on in the process when they become ever more expensive. Bringing together cross-functional teams from the government and contractor sides early in the design process can avoid the alterations that lead to 60 per cent of project delays.”

Summit BIM Consulting typically works with building owners, many of whom have used BIM to great advantage.

“The cost of change orders on a project can be about 10 per cent,” says Rayner. “Owners have to bear that cost. Our clients have all seen a reduction in the number of RFIs and the number of change orders associated with their building projects. They have seen some definite benefits, like having all of the building’s information data go straight through to building, maintenance and operations departments, without needing to be re-entered along the way.”

Other important elements that BIM brings to light – before actual construction – are soft and hard “clashes”. The former refers to having enough space within a certain area of the building to do the required work and the latter is used to identify actual obstructions, such a pipe hitting a duct. All of this becomes readily apparent when working in 3D.

“There’s no doubt that BIM has the potential to improve industry efficiencies,” says Rayner, who adds that the design side of the industry has the skill set to start generating this data and many of the large construction contractors have evolving BIM departments – all of which is very good news.

Piling work proves premise

When consulting structural engineering firm, Bush, Bohlman & Partners, was awarded the $35-million renovation project to Science World in 2011, they didn’t hesitate to make use of Revit Structure within a BIM process to create a 3D digital version of the existing building structure. That foresight has paid huge dividends along the way.

Science World at TELUS World of Science is located in an iconic geodesic dome, which was originally built for Expo ’86 as a temporary structure. The building is close to 30 years old – and still going strong. This is due, in part, to the massive structural engineering work completed in 2011.

“Part of our work in 2011 was to do a seismic assessment and retrofit of the original Expo building podium structure utilizing 3D dynamic analysis,” states Michael Sullivan, CTech, a Structural Technologist/BIM Specialist with Bush, Bohlman & Partners (consulting structural engineers), who adds that the podium and base structure support a 47-metre high geodesic dome and was built partially over water.

“The existing building structure used a complex and congested pile-supported foundation system – with battered piles at major column-support locations. During this expansion project, over 400 – or 98 per cent – of the existing piles were modelled digitally,” he explains.

Extensive new piling work was required on the Science World podium base structure’s existing foundation system. Large steel moment-resisting frames were centred along the radial gridlines on the west side. The frames were anchored by custom-cruciform shape, wide-flange columns. The steel columns were then supported by the new pilecaps keyed into the existing concourse level such that no additional gravity or seismic loads were transferred back to the existing structure.

Bush, Bohlman & Partners used Revit software to determine where the existing piles were located so that workers could cut through the podium’s deck structure to drive the new piles.

“We used the modelling software initially to lay out the locations of the existing piles and to where to cut through the existing deck to drive the new piles,” explains Sullivan, who adds that the new piles were designed to support the new expansion seismic retrofit and relieve the load from the existing structure. “We cast the pile caps directly into the holes cut through the existing deck structure.”

East meets west

The west side of the Podium structure required over 40 new concrete-filled steel piles, of which 30 were battered piles. The former were 508 centimetres in diameter and 15 metres long. The latter were 610 centimetres in diameter and 15 metres long, each with a 55 milimetre diameter Dywidag rock anchor. All of these piles had to be driven from a rig set up on a barge on the False Creek side of the building.

“The battered piles were part of the seismic system upgrade,” explains Sullivan. “Where new columns bear on an existing concrete beam, we spanned new reinforced concrete beams underneath that existing beam and placed pilecaps with battered piles, in groups of three, on either side to transfer the new column loads off of the existing deck support beams.”

The renovation and expansion work on the east side of the podium wasn’t as extensive and didn’t require seismic upgrading to the existing previous expansion completed in 1988. A total of 20 new piles were driven to support the new entry sequence and augment the structure’s existing foundation system.

“The use of Revit software in this project was huge,” states Sullivan. “It facilitated the installation of the piles relative to the dome and to the existing piles. The facility remained open during the work so being able to know the exact locations of where to cut through the deck was invaluable. We used Revit to lay it all out before we started the actual work. Plus, the existing battered piles were slanted and angled in different directions. We used Revit to lay out where each new pile could be located without running into the other piles already there.”

More to come

Although the benefits of using BIM tools were well established – and capitalized upon – during the 2011 renovation project, it looks like it may be a case of where BIM just keeps on giving. Last year, TELUS World of Science again approached Bush, Bohlman & Partners.

“They asked us to conduct an assessment of the dome and piling foundation structure because the facility has long outlasted its initial lifespan as a temporary structure,” states Sullivan. “We’ve been tasked to review all of the existing structure with the goal in mind to make it last many more years.”

In 2014, Bush, Bohlman & Partners completed the condition assessment study of the entire existing building and expansion base structure, which involved going out in a small boat at low tide and doing an extensive visual study of the underneath of the existing base structure. This study revealed the damaging effects of salt water on the existing steel piles and these were categorized within the 3d digital model to create a comprehensive condition assessment report of the base structure. This information will be used to facilitate any future remediation work.

“We categorized the piles according to the severity of their condition and then colour-coded and scheduled them for easy identification,” states Sullivan. “And we can provide all of that detailed information up front so that contractors know exactly where and what needs to be done to provide more accurate bids.”

Fortunately, Bush, Bohlman & Partners already had completed a lot of the preliminary work required in the condition assessment study – thanks to their use of BIM on the 2011 renovation project.

“It does take longer to digitally model a building, especially an existing structure like Science World,” concludes Sullivan. “But we’re certainly pleased that we put the energy in to do it in 2011. Not only did it prove advantageous back then but now, with this new assessment four years later, it will make our work that much easier.” Reference PIC magazine.

RevitDB Link

One of the advantages of BIM is the ability to generate large amounts of data from a model with relative ease. In Revit, the data is there but the tools to create reports are lacking. A way around this has been to export Revit models to ODBC and use a database package to generate reports that are attractive and include fields that Revit prevents us from scheduling.

Autodesk has released a new plugin that takes exporting to ODBC to a new level — RevitDBLink. There are two features of this plugin that will revolutionize the way those of us involved in information modeling will work: the bidirectional flow of data, and the ability to store other data and fields within the same database as the model.

I will demonstrate how Revit allows the bidirectional flow of data by exporting a model to a database, changing wall heights in the database, and then sending these changes back to Revit.

I start with a simple Revit model.

Next, I export the model to a MS Access database using the RevitDB Link and selecting a new connection.

My Access database is now populated with a set of tables from Revit. The image below shows the table of walls.

Comparing this table with the data in the Revit model shows that the unconnected heights are all set to 20′.

Within the database I can change these values to new heights.

These changes are loaded back in to the Revit model by selecting ‘edit and import’ from the DBlink plugin dialog box. The changes are then automatically applied to the Revit model.

While Revit allows for the editing of properties within the program itself, it is no match for the power of MS Access in generating reports and performing advanced queries on the models.

When using the built in ‘export to ODBC’ function in Revit, the model would overwrite the existing database. With RevitDB Link, tables associated with the project, but not stored within Revit can be added to the database and will be preserved every time the model is exported. Furthermore, the data will not be loaded in to Revit. This allows us to include information that is relevant to our project but may not need to be in the model, or may not associate with a specific object.

With RevitDB Link we can now add fields to an object and make it invisible to Revit. For example, when we export a model with rooms, the database will show only those fields created in the model. In MS Access, additional fields can be added to the rooms table. When this table is uploaded back to Revit, the new fields are invisible.

Not allowing fields created in Access to be uploaded back in to the model may seem to be a flaw in the bidirectional functionality, but I see it as a brilliant move on the part of the developers.

Revit files can become very large. While we tend to think that file size is directly proportional to the number of objects in a model, the amount of information included in the model also adds to the size. A simple model with additional fields added to objects can be larger than a model with many objects and no information. Do we really need all those fields in Revit?

RevitDB Link allows for almost unlimited access to our models and the information contained within them. If anyone has any ideas that they would like to see implemented, post a comment.

Revit Repeaters

Revit was primarily designed to service BIM (Building Information Modeling). However, do not get stuck thinking that Revit only fits into the BIM space. Revit can be used for a lot of other purposes as well, as can be seen from the images below.

Virusses, micro bacteria, nearly anything can be created in Revit. We just need to find the workaround. The workaround to create these examples was to use the Revit Repeater command.

The first example is of the HIV Virus.

Example 2 is of a DNA strand.

The last example was a bit of a challenge: Microbe Bacteria. Creating the bacteria was quite easy, but getting the correct material representation was a tad difficult. Even though it would have been easier in 3ds Max, remember that this blog aims to keep to the default Revit functionality. I believe the result would be good enough to get the message across.

Revit 2016 What’s new

It’s been a few weeks now that Revit 2016 has come out, so what is new in this release?

Open a Sheet from a view-From the Project browser you can now open the sheet on which a view is placed. An Open Sheet option has been added to the shortcut menu that appears when you right-click a view in the Project Browser. This options allows you to quickly access the sheet on which the view is placed.

Navigating the Property browser– One annoying bug that has plagued property browser is that sometimes when you are scrolling down the property browser it pops you back up to the top of the browsers, well it looks like that has bee fixed in the 2016 version of Revit.

Thin Line Weight Enhancement-Maintain line weight settings when you open Revit.

Rendering – The rendering engine has been changed again in this version.

Revision Enhancements -There is now more control of the revision numbering.

Selection Boxes– Now we can select an object and then isolate it in a 3d view with the section box being automatically created.

Select host– Now when you select an object you can find out what the object is hosted to. In most cases it is pretty obvious to understand what an object is hosted to. When I see this might become useful is understanding what object a keynote is hosted too especially when you use User Keynotes.

Energy Analyses Enhancements-Analysing your model has gotten better with Revit 2016 and I think it will continue to get better, you should also keep an eye on the Building Performance Analysis blog, as they are promising to show off more of the capabilities of this enhancement to Revit.

Automatic place Room– There is now a button to place automatically place rooms in the model. This may save time placing rooms, but you will still have to go back and name the rooms appropriately

Addition Content– It looks like Autodesk has given us some more content with the latest release of Revit. There are some additional doors. I probably won’t use them but there is more content.See Revit OpEd for a in-depth explanation of the door content.

Searching the content of the Model-Looking for content for the model has be made a little easier. Now when you are in a long list of items you can now start type some of the title of the content and the list of content will shorten to show just the content that contains the data you typed in. Reference Revit 2016 What’s new by Mathew Miller.

Get Walking to be a Modern Urban

In the recent times, there has been a cumulative feeling that people are increasingly getting isolated. In more ways than one, the factor responsible for this has been accounted to the way we live, or more precisely the structures that we live in.

In the recent times, which we would call the ‘modern age’, there has been a cumulative feeling that people are increasingly getting isolated. There has been a marked alienation within the social fabric and people live like ‘islands’. In more ways than one, the factor responsible for this has been accounted to the way we live, or more precisely the structures that we live in.

Buildings have a deep psycho-social impact on human behavior. Increasing stress among educated professionals, failure in relationships (high divorce rates for instance), unrest among teenagers (high schools shootings being a case in point), are all accounted to the simple fact that our entire life is spent within walled confines, leaving little room for healthy inter-personal bonding. It doesn’t foster in us a sense of accommodating others in our space. Instead, it breeds segregation within our community.

Modern architects are, therefore, fiercely propagating the idea of having walk-able townships, where every place and thing would be accessible on foot. This movement has come to be known as New Urbanism. Under this model, the practice of getting out of home and reaching for an automobile, in most cases a car, to reach businesses and other buildings would be obliterated. People would just stroll down the roads, thus, facilitating greater social interaction, understanding and human bonding. Simultaneously, it would go a long way in reducing our destabilizing impact on the environment.

Modern day designers hold that tract style residences with sprawling sub-urban neighborhoods catalyze social isolation, leading to failure of communication within the community. So, New Urbanism landscape architects push for well-knit neighborhoods that lay less emphasis on roads and instead, build more facilities for pedestrians and other social interaction spaces. Suburbia is considered to put an end to authentic civic life.

Walkability is regarded the cornerstone to an efficient surface transportation for an urban area. Every trip involves commuting on foot, where you come in close communion with other people. Besides, it’s the cheapest, healthiest and most affordable mode of transport any community can design. Thus, the community also secures its future by making a sustainable use of resources. Crime and anti-social problems too will diminish significantly due to healthy and happy lives of the citizens.

It has been noticed that when affluent Americans cordon themselves away from the community through enclosed neighborhoods, it leads to misunderstanding, fear, and stereotyping within the society. Therefore, as proud modernists, we should ideally have open cities, where people of all incomes, races and backgrounds would steer through their lives in mutual harmony.

By laying the principles of New Urbanism to practice, people will educate themselves to value others in greater esteem and social networks would healthily expand. It would be a fashion to walk to the destination and ditch the car in the garage. Reference architectural evangelist. For know more about it then contact us.

Independence for Elevation Marks Everywhere

Let’s say you have a water closet. The interior elevation mark fits fine in a 1/2″ scale enlarged plan, but on a 1/4″ plan the mark obscures the room. So, on the 1/4″ plan, you move the interior elevation mark outside of the room and use a simple leader to indicate that that mark references that water closet (image below). Now you go back to your 1/2″ plan and discover that when you moved the elevation mark in one view it moves the mark in all the views! Bummer.

There are several solutions to this problem:

Only use interior elevation marks in 1/2″ plans

Create a dummy tag with open parameters that you can manage manually, or

Place another new interior elevation mark, this time with the “Reference other view” option checked, and choose one of the four elevations you wish to duplicate.

Once placed, enable the other three views on that tag one at a time (you will be asked to reference three more views).

Copy the duplicate into all the plan views that require a duplicate.

Now that you have a duplicate elevation mark, you can hide in view by element…

Or better yet, create a new Design Option Set with two (or more) design options, select the center of the elevation mark, change the “Visible in Option” parameter for the mark from “all” to a design option… and in the view’s Visibility/Graphics (or the view’s View Template) set the view to display the design option as required.

Notes: The focus of this example is on elevation marks, but the “Visible in Option” parameter is also available in Callouts and Sections. Also be aware that if the crop boundary in the elevation view disappears it’s probably because the mark was put onto a design option. Refer by David. If you have any query then contact us and for our services click here.

To Photo metric, or not to Photo metric

Revit’s default light sources work. Most of the time though, these default or standard light source definitions will not create an acceptable diffusion of light within a room. We will investigate what results can be achieved between a default light source, and a photo metric light source in Revit.

1.1 Standard Light Source definition

Standard Light Source definition

1.2 Rendered Result

Rendered Result

2.1 Photo metric Light Source definition

Photometric Light Source definition

2.2 Rendered Result

Rendered Result

There are pro’s and con’s with both light sources:

Standard Light Sources:

Pro: Lighter in size in terms of the data it contains.

Pro: Renders are completed faster due to the above.

Con: Renders might not be an accurate representation of the actual light diffusion.

Photo metric Light Sources:

Pro: Actual diffusion is more accurate due to the IES file attached to the light source.

Con: Rendering time will suffer, as there are a lot more data to process.

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